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Monday, July 7, 2014

Interesting But Meh: Pure Thai Cookhouse

Expected more from this seemingly unique Thai place... But it didn't seem too different from the others.

Food: ★★★★☆
Ambiance: ★★☆☆☆
Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: $-$$

Number of visits: 1

Lunch menu

(51st St. & 9th Ave.)

I came to Pure Thai Cookhouse on a sweltering, super sunny Thursday for lunch with high expectations due to great reviews and recommendations. But instead, I left a little disappointed and wishing that I'd had loved this place.

Perhaps my biggest disappointment came from how underwhelming the food was. My friend and I started off with an order of spring rolls, and though they were crunchy, crisp and light, they were just pretty ordinary spring rolls. Guess you can't really expect anything super incredible from spring rolls though.

Spring rolls ($5)

For my entree, I picked the Ratchaburi crab and pork dry noodles, for which I was really excited as I am a huge fan of crab. But while definitely unique and interesting, this dish was a little meh. The noodles were bland, but still had a slightly sour taste, and the pork was overly sweet — you'd think the two would've balanced each other out, but for some reason, the combo wasn't that great for me, perhaps because the sweet was overpowering. The crabmeat was okay — it was definitely not imitation, but it actually didn't add much to the dish or at least not as much as I'd expected.

Ratchaburi crab and pork dry noodles ($10)

The service was alright — pretty quick but not particularly friendly or anything. And the restaurant in general was very casual, with minimal decor and only a few tables. It seemed like a lot of people get stuff to go rather than dine in.

Guess I had heightened my expectations a little too much for Pure Thai Cookhouse, but that's okay — I still enjoyed my experience here. I would be willing to try more of their dishes, but I personally think there are better Thai restaurants in the city.

2 comments:

Thank you for your thorough review! Sorry to know that you weren't completely satisfied with Pure Thai Cookhouse. Then, which Thai restaurant (in city) would you recommend for someone who hasn't had Thai food for a long time?